City plans free Wi-Fi in all parks, public spaces

Chicago also hoping to bring high-speed wireless to emerging business zones

September 24, 2012|By Ameet Sachdev | Tribune staff reporter

Free Wi-Fi would be offered in public spaces such as Millennium Park, which had its free Wi-Fi activated Monday. ((Scott Strazzante/Chicago Tribune))

Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveiled an ambitious plan Monday to establish Chicago as a hub for ultra-fast Internet service and provide free Wi-Fi in public spaces.

The city kicked off its "Chicago Broadband Challenge" by turning on free Wi-Fi in Millennium Park Monday morning.

"Chicago will be one of the most connected cities in the world," said Emanuel. "The establishment of a world-class broadband network in Chicago will create thousands of jobs and dramatically improve educational opportunities, economic development, health care services, and general quality of life throughout the city."

Emanuel said the city will seek input from the public via the Chicago Broadband Challenge website to build the network and make sure it is customized for residents and companies.

Any individual, company, student, non-profit organization or community group is welcome to respond to the Broadband challenge, informally through the website, or as part of formal proposals the city will be soliciting from companies, universities and other organizations.

Emanuel said his first goal is to build a network infrastructure that will offer Internet service at "gigabit" speeds, which are about 100 times faster than a basic cable modem. Google built such a network in Kansas City, Mo., that bypassed the local cable and phone companies.

While Google is selling its broadband service to consumers, Emanuel would like to focus the ultra-fast connections in commercial and industrial areas, what he called "innovation zones."

The mayor also acknowledged that faster Internet service is needed in Chicago's disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The news release did not indicate how much it would cost to build the infrastructure network of the 21st century.

Companies such as Google and Verizon Communications Inc. are making major investments but analysts are not sure they are paying off yet. Verizon is spending an estimated $23 billion to connect homes and business directly to its fiber system called FiOS. It charges $70 per month for download speeds of 15 megabits per second, less than 2 percent the speed of a gigabit, according to USA Today.